The second week of May opens strong and closes stronger. It begins with a first-quarter moon in Leo on the night of the 8th, a moon with strong initiatory energy that rubs against all material odds and obstacles. It’s the kind of moon that dares us to defy our own expectations for ourselves. This is the energy we enter Mercury retrograde with in the early hours of May 10th, an energy that we will have to temper for the sake of logistics. But tempering is not the same as tamping down or snuffing out, especially given the influence of Jupiter in Aries — a transit that begins later that same day.
Meanwhile, the Sun continues his sojourn under the stars of Taurus, slowly moving away from Uranus and toward the True Node until they make a conjunction on May 13th. Despite all the signs that might point to the contrary, there’s a feeling of alignment in the air. This feeling is echoed by the sextile that Mars in Pisces makes to the True Node on the 14th and prepares us for the moment that Venus in Aries makes a conjunction to Chiron in Aries on the 15th — to say nothing of the lunar eclipse in Scorpio ahead. Every heartbreak, every rallying cry, every loss, and every moment of deliverance has prepared us for what comes next. As Richard Siken wrote in his poem “Snow and Dirty Rain,” “We are all going forward. None of us are going back.”
Aries Sun & Aries Rising
It might feel like everywhere you look, things are rolling off the rails, but there’s no reason for you to roll right off with them. Not with Venus and Jupiter in your corner anyway! Venus in Aries is assertive and she doesn’t take any guff. While this kind of bold energy isn’t exactly what Venus is known for, it certainly comes with its own charm — a charm that might prove highly useful this first week of Mercury-stationed retrograde with a waning sextile from Venus to Mercury. This week begins with your ruling planet, Mars, making an uncomfortable aspect to the first-quarter moon in Leo while it's still wandering through Pisces. It’s natural to feel insecure or anxious when certain aspects of your life remain up in the air. It may be a while before you have a clear sense of your next move, but it’s a great week for clarifying past agreements and making sure that your needs and expectations remain a part of the conversation.ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Taurus Sun & Taurus Rising
Sweet birthday baby (In the style of Greta Lee’s Maxine on Russian Doll)! Could it really be that this month of raging fires and surprise hail storms, this month of viral surges and rollbacks on reproductive justice is the month that the Sun shines down on you? Well, more is more, and it appears that Venus in Aries is in full effect. While you may prefer your ruling planet resplendent and relaxed, it’s within her right to be otherwise. Of course, it’s within your right to resist the swell of energy, to redirect your attention to yourself as you see fit. There’s no use feeling guilty about prioritizing your energy, even if it means abstaining from efforts and actions that some past self wants to want to be a part of. Guilt is a wasted emotion, it limits your imagination and stunts your growth. Don’t waste your time taking small sips from cups you’ve never asked to drink from. Look for the libations that do more than quench your thirst — they bring you back to life.ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Gemini Sun & Gemini Rising
We begin this week with a first-quarter moon in Leo. First-quarter moons are often associated with taking initiative, pushing something forward that you want to see grow and succeed. Leo adds a fixed and fiery certainty to the matter and for Gemini Risings especially, this moon can be a great time to connect and concoct on a magical level. Of course, discretion is of the essence! Not only are we between a solar and a lunar eclipse this week, Mercury stations retrograde on Tuesday. These eclipses may stir up intense feelings about your relationship to habits or addictions — feelings that deserve your time and your attention. It may be in your best interest to limit spell work and intention setting toward goals that support your healing and long-term health. Remember that you can invite those you love to be a part of this work and this vision; taking care of yourself is the first step to taking care of your communities.
ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Cancer Sun & Cancer Rising
Have you ever noticed how the moon is generally always visible? Barring the days around a new moon (when she’s only a sliver) or a day with intense cloud cover, you can spot your mistress glinting in the sky. In fact, the best time of the month to spot the daylight moon is during her first-quarter phase, which she reaches on May 8th in the sign of Leo. I share this to remind you that, just like the moon, you are always shining and with us. You are never alone, never lost, never missing, even if some heavy clouds have got you feeling isolated or unclear, even if you’re starting over and feeling small and unsure. There are scientific reasons why the first-quarter moon and the last-quarter moon are particularly visible during daytime, but perhaps we can think of a magic reason, too: that you only need to move forward with faith in your capabilities for your efforts to be appreciated, that you know there’s a time to slow down and attend to what you’re nurturing, that your attentiveness is valuable and valued.ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Leo Sun & Leo Rising
Do Leos in the Northern Hemisphere feel like all of summer is their season, regardless of under which stars the Sun posts up or for how long it lingers there? Perhaps it’s the Sun's rays laying claim to the territory of Taurus and making a grab for planets that hover alongside. Perhaps it’s Taurus season in particular, the fixed energy and the opening of summer like a gate. Or perhaps it’s this month, this week between eclipses that begins with a first-quarter moon in Leo and is punctuated by the Sun’s conjunction to the True Node in Taurus on the 13th. Whatever the reason — logical, mystical, or otherwise — if you find yourself awash with confidence and possibility, trust it. Your feelings don’t need to be justified to be true, and besides, the best way to defy a world that conspires to keep us powerless is to live as if we drip with power. ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Virgo Sun & Virgo Rising
It’s officially that time again, the period when Mercury appears to move backwards in the cosmos, and down here on Earth all the humans blame it for their troubles. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you, Virgo? You’re perceptive and accountable enough to know that certain transits can influence the way our days unfold, but the stuff that unfolds is entirely our own responsibility. Ah, that makes you one of the lucky ones, the rare Earthling who isn’t stuck in a game of Mother May I. Unfrozen, you get to survey the situation at your own pace and do a little reconnaissance. You can call it a review period or you can call it a learning opportunity — a chance to see where you need to fortify your efforts so you can build better and smarter, too. ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Libra Sun & Libra Rising
Perhaps you feel it already, a sharp crackle in the air like the moment before lightning strikes. There’s a charge to this moment, a sense that nothing will ever be the same again. It’s an inspiring sense to have, an enlivening one, even if some part of you knows that you have felt this way before and still faced an onslaught of days that mirrored each other. While dramatic events do happen, they often happen in the midst of the mundane. Life, we know, is not a game show that presents you with a door to walk through with a whole new path on the other side. Still, if you are observant, if you allow each moment its due, small portals will become apparent: like catching yourself about to behave in a way you no longer wish to and switching gears, like choosing yourself even when you’re afraid it might mean losing someone else.
ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Scorpio Sun & Scorpio Rising
What if, during this eclipse season, each week between eclipses is a week between veils? What if one week, you dwell in the present moment, and the next week you’re wading in the detritus of past life? If the way we experience time is a construct, then it’s possible to deviate and, in deviating, discover something new about your relationship to time — to the life you’ve chosen. Or, what if you stay in place — exactly where you should be — but your perspective keeps shifting? What if this Mercury retrograde is a period of elucidation and discovery and the information that arrives on its coattails has the power to transform you and your relationships? Well, there’s no way to prepare for an eclipse journey like that, no established process for integrating information that has yet to arrive and make its impact known. Perhaps, in this case, preparation and process will have to take a backseat to a gentle kind of optimism and an openness to awe.ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Sagittarius Sun & Sagittarius Rising
It’s true that eclipse season is no joke, and if you’re feeling burnt out, you’re in good company. The good news is, while Jupiter was in his domicile in Pisces, there’s something about his ingress into the fellow fire sign of Aries that reignites the fire in you. Of course, a fire relit still needs to be fed and looked after. You have to know how long you want that fire to last, how much wood to throw on it, and how to keep it from going out. It doesn’t hurt that Jupiter continues to trail in (loose) conjunction with Venus, who knows what she wants and aims to get it. Even when the odds seem stacked against her, especially then. A great deal of creative energy is available to you, Sagittarius, but it’s not unconditional. This is the kind of energy that requires you to meet it at least halfway — want it, work for it, and claim it.
ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Capricorn Sun & Capricorn Rising
Surely, you know what it is to work toward fruition, to put your nose to the grindstone and make sure that all goes according to plan (that the grains don’t burn and the knife’s blade gets sharper). But, contrary to what your soul knows to be right and fair, not all rewards are reaped through hard work. Some rewards simply arrive because it is their time to arrive, like the blooms of a magnolia. It’s an unfortunate circumstance that many of us have been trained to associate pleasure with accomplishment and accomplishment with capitalist metrics. It would be worthwhile to remember that accomplishment is synonymous with completion. To call something complete is subjective, to reach a point of completion is always an option. Say you are done, say you have done enough. While it may be hard to accept or trust at first, it should soon become evident that you don’t need to feel like you earned something to enjoy its benefits.ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Aquarius Sun & Aquarius Rising
The house system and the signs themselves are separate, but it’s no secret that each house has an association with each sign. Aquarius people have a certain reputation for being the aliens of the zodiac, but their association with the 11th house speaks to a life that is far from alienated. Networks, collectives, and friendships enrich your lives and sustain the work you do in the world. Because friendship and association are your secret powers, boundaries are a huge part of your sacred work. The fact that your ruling planet, Saturn, is under your stars proves helpful — Saturn loves setting parameters. But, with a growing tension between Saturn and both the North Node and the Sun in Taurus, you might find that the bulk of the work will have less to do with setting limits for what others ask of you and more to do with actively limiting what you give away.
ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
Pisces Sun & Pisces Rising
Sunday’s quincunx aspect between Mars in your sign and the first-quarter moon in Leo may have you starting your week negotiating uncomfortable feelings. If you find yourself uneasy, dogged by uncertainty, or anxious that you’ve forgotten something important, you’re not alone. For one thing, it’s near impossible to achieve peace of mind in a world that feels anything but peaceful. In such a world, unplugging is sometimes the only remedy to a bad day and unplugging means letting things lapse. The truth is, while you may very well have let something notable slip your mind, what’s important will always return with a bid for your attention. Jupiter’s departure from your stars on May 10th refocuses your energy, it gives you permission to (unapologetically) mind your own business, no matter how many people expect you to mind theirs.ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARIANFLOWER
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